Animal-trap



@NIN-3D STATI-:s

lh-.TENT OFFICE@ HENRY S. NORTH AND JOHN O. COUCH, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24,573, dated June 28, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY S. NORTH and JOHN 0. CoUCH, both ot' Middletown, in t-he county ot Middlesex and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Fire- Arni, which we term a Graine-Shooter#7 and we do hereby declare that the following isa lull, clear, and exact description ot' the same, ret'- erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specitication, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the gaine-shooter. Fig. 2 is a back or bottom longitudinal view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the saine. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line w of Fig. 1.

Similar` letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several tigures.

Our invention consists in atire-arm ot'novel construction with several barrels or chambers, which are so combined as to be tired from a single vent., and whose lock is so constructed and applied as to permit the attachment of a bait in such a manner that any anima] seizing and attempting to carry ott' the bait will produce the discharge ot' the piece in a direction to shoot it. The same piece, by being provitlled with a stock, may also be used asa pisto To enable others to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is a cylinder, having several bores, a a, arranged in acircle concentric with the axis of the cylinder, either parallel with the said axis or at a slight angle thereto, and having a central bore to receive a rod, B, which passes loosely through it. TheA said cylinder is also counterbored centrally from the rear, ot" a size somewhat larger than a circle inscribed within the hores u a, Which receive the charges, and to a depth to meet the bores a a, and a screw-thread is cutinthe counterbore, as shown at b b, Fig. 3, to permit a tube, C, which we term the breech-pin,77 to be screwed into it, so that the end of the said breech-pin abuts close up to the front ot' the counterbore. This breechpinC has a rabbct turned in the outer portion ot` its extremity, as shown at c cin Figs. l and 2, to form a smallannularchannel, which makes a communication between all the bores c a.

rear of the breech-pin and into a cavity, d, in

a stock, l), in which the rear end ot' the breechpin is secured. v

e is a vent drilled through the rear ot' one otI the bores ct a, to communicate with a nipple, f,that is screwed into the rear ot' the cylinder A, outside of the breech-pin.

E is the ham nier, made in the forni of a ring, and itted to slide on the exterior ofthe tubular breech-pin C.

F is thc mainspring, of helical form, coiled around the central rod, B, and having its bearings between the stock l), or a suitable stop at the rear otl the breech-pin, and a collar, g, which is itted to slide freely upon the central rod and within the breech-pin. The said collar'g has screwed into it or otherwise secured to it two lugs or pins, h h, which protrude through slots it' in opposite sides ot' the breechpin and occupy positions in rear of the hammer, the said slots being parallel with the axis of the breech-pin.

jis a curved spring, constituting the sear, attached securely to the central rod, B, and Working through a slot, 7t,in the hollow breechpin, for the purpose of catching against the front ofthe hammer, in which aslight groove, l, is provided for the point of the sear to enter to prevent itslipping out too easily.

mis an eye' at the front extremity of the central rod, B, which protrudes through the front of the cylinder for the purpose of attaching the bait.

n is an eye provided on the stock to afford facility for suspending the arm from a tree or attaching it to any xed body.

p is a trigger suitably arranged Within the l stock, to be pressed by the foretinger while thestock is grasped in the hand for the purpose of forcing forward the central pin through the breech-pin and cylinder.

The operation of the game-shooter is as follows: Before it is cocked the hammer E,the sear j, the collar g, and the spring F are respectivelyin the positions shownin red outline in Fig. 3 and the other parts in the condition shown in black outline; and it is While the parts are in this condition that the chambers a a should be loaded and the bait applied to the fronte-ud of the stem. To cock it, the hammer E is drawn back bythe hand until its face passes the endof the searj, which then springs out of the slot lc far enough to prevent its return when released from the hand, leaving all the parts in the condition shown in black outline in Fig. 3. When the arm is suspended by the eye n, orotherwise secured in a suitable place,and a percussion-cap applied onthenipple, all the chambers will be discharged at once by a comparatively slight pull on the bait, for as the central rod, B,is drawn forward the sear, coming` in contact with the front of the slotlr, is forced inward until its extremity passes clear of tbe inner edge ot' the hammer and leaves it entirely underthe influence ot' the spring F, which, pressing forward the collar g, with its pins or ears h h., against the back ot' the hammer, drives the latter forward against the cap in the nipple and causes its explosion. The tire from the cap only communicates directly with one chamber a; but the r'e communicates from that chamber to all the others through the channel c c. Before recocking, the central rod should be pushed back a short distance to bring the extremity of the sear toa position to catch the hammer when thelatteris brought back again. y

The arm having been loaded, cocked, and primed, as above described, may be held in the hand by the stock D and fired like a coinmon pistol by pressing back the trigger p,which act pushes forward the central rod and has the saine effect as the drawing ot' it forward by the seizure ofthe baited end.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Ihe combination of the many-chambered cylinder A with the breech-pin C by means of a central counterbore in the said cylinder meeting the chambers a a, and a groove or recess, c, all around the end of the breech-pin, substantially as herein described, whereby communication is made between the chambers of the cylinder and all are enabled to be tired at once with a single vent.

2. Fitting the hammer in the form ofa ring to slide along the exterior of the breech-pin C, as herein described.

3. The combination, with the hammer applied to slide along the exterior of the hollow breech-pin, ot' a rod, B, sliding through Ythe center ot'the cylinder and within the breech- 5. The extension otl the central rod, B,which carries the sear, directly through the cylinder and through the hollow breech-pin7 so that it may be operated either by a pull at its front end or by a push at itsrear end,substantially as herein described.

6. In combination with the many-chambered cylinder A, hollow breech-pin C, hammer E, central rod, B, sear j, and spring F, and collar g, as described, the stock D and trigger p, applied,as described,to make a weapon that can be baited and set for shooting game by theA seizure ofthe bait, or that can be used in the hand like an ordinary pistol or lire-arm, as herein set forth.

ELENRY S. NORTH.

JOHN 0. COUGH.

Witnesses:

MARIA W. BARNES, JONATHAN BARNES. 

